Controlling 7 Segment displays w/ SX

Nate

Howdy folks,

I'm currently creating a SX application where I would like to be able to see the contents of several of the 8-bit registers of the SX (while the application is running, not debuging).· In the past, to show the contents of registers that were BCD,·I have simply·used a 8-bit serial-in/parallel-out latch hooked up to·two BCD-to-7-segment display drivers which were in turn hooked up to two 7-segment displays.· In this new project, the registers will contain hex numbers, so I thought I'd do the same system but find some Binary-to-Hex display drivers.· I can't seem to find any.· I don't particulary want to have to create my own drivers with discrete logic, as I am trying to hold the chip and interconnect count down.· Do binary-to-Hex display drivers exist?· Does anyone know where I could find some?

nate

Post Edited (Nate) : 1/16/2005 6:56:40 PM GMT

Paul Baker

The current nuts and volts issue has an article from Jon Williams for the SX to do this itself. He also posted an article doing this very thing in the SX forum, though the explaination is not as detailed. If an external part exists, you can be pretty much gauranteed that Maxim makes it (they are the king of specialty ICs), check out thier product list at thier website.

Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 1/16/2005 7:54:53 PM GMT

Nate

I just saw the method of controlling 7 segment displays in Gunther's book (control both anode and cathode).· Simple, effective, and best of all, low part/interconnect count.· With two serial-in/parallel-out registers,·it can have minimal I/O usage too.· Am I the only one who discovers the easy way to do things AFTER doing it the complicated way?

nate


Post Edited (Nate) : 1/16/2005 7:13:08 PM GMT

Jon Williams

Nope, we all do. It's less painful to stay on one's feet than fall onto our faces, yet babies do it all the time ... until they get the hang of it.

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Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Dallas, TX· USA